Jon Boden & the Remnant Kings
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Jon Boden has become the ‘stand out performer of his generation’ (The Guardian) of traditional folk artists, but one whose repertoire extends far beyond the boundaries of the genre.
He is best known as the lead singer and main arranger of the progressive folk juggernaut Bellowhead, who achieved a quarter of a million album sales, seven singles on the Radio 2 playlist and selling out hundreds of venues, notably the Royal Albert Hall.
In 2009, Jon founded his band The Remnant Kings, originally formed to perform the album ’Songs from the Floodplain’, the first in a trilogy of albums. This genre busting group performed concerts where folk songs, Bach, Pop and Jazz all rubbed shoulders with Jon’s own songs.
Following the release of their new album ‘Parlour Ballads’, released Sept ’24 the band return to the live arena with their unique brand of post-apocalyptic folk played in a traditional style vs. traditional folk played with post-apocalyptic swagger.
Boden’s Waitsian parlour ballads and Napoleonic power-pop, will be performed alongside the band’s fifteen-year back-catalogue of traditional and original songs and tunes. The band combines a deep understanding of traditional music with musical audacity and theatrical brio, and feature the enormous talents of Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead), Rob Harbron (Leveret), Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman Band), Sally Hawkins (Bellowhead) and the vocals and pedal-steel guitar of cult singer-songwriter M.G. Boulter.
They are playing on Thursday, headlining the Lake Stage.
‘Resurrects the brassy swagger of Bellowhead’
Financial Times
‘Ambitious, genre-busting folk’
The Guardian
’Recalling Gabriel-era Genesis with a dash of Bush and Bowie’
The Observer
‘Springy fingerpicking and rolling drums convey the thrill of an anarchic street celebration.’
The Independent
‘Vivid lyrics, striking imagery, challenging arrangements.’
fRoots
‘I didn't count numbers but it was possibly even a larger aggregation than his previous band, Bellowhead…There were several 'wow' moments throughout and we were left in no doubt that Boden's talents are multi-faceted and often bewildering… he's fast emerging as a modern-day Richard Thompson or John Tams…with this big band he has reached another level. He may even have emerged as the premier UK folk artist of his generation.’
efestivals review of Shrewsbury Folk Festival